1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for installing a magnetic coupled mixing motor.
2. Description of Related Art
Chemical compounds are typically mixed within an agitator tank that contains a rotating impeller. Some agitator tanks include a magnetic coupler which couples the impeller to a motor located at the exterior of the tank. Magnetic couplers typically contain a drive magnet attached to the motor and driven magnet connected to the impeller. The magnets are placed in close proximity to each other so that rotation of the drive magnet induces a rotation of the driven magnet and impeller.
The installation of a magnetic coupled mixer typically requires the manual placement of the drive magnet into close proximity with the driven magnet. As the installer is placing the drive magnet near the driven magnet, the attractive force of the two magnets tends to pull together the two members. For relatively large mixers this magnetic force can be greater than the strength of the installer. The pull of the magnets may lead to injuries if the installer's fingers or other extremities are caught between the magnets. Additionally, the magnets are difficult to pull apart, thereby increasing the difficulty in removing or repairing the motor. It would therefore be desirable to have a magnetic coupled mixer assembly which allows the motor magnets to be remotely coupled and decoupled.